Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal and controlling method thereof. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for facilitating a terminal to be used in further consideration of user's convenience.
Discussion of the Related Art
A mobile terminal is a device which may be configured to perform various functions. Examples of such functions include data and voice communications, capturing images and video via a camera, recording audio, playing music files and outputting music via a speaker system, and displaying images and video on a display. Some terminals include additional functionality which supports game playing, while other terminals are also configured as multimedia players. More recently, mobile terminals have been configured to receive broadcast and multicast signals which permit viewing of contents, such as videos and television programs.
Generally, terminals can be classified into mobile terminals and stationary terminals. In addition, mobile terminals can be further classified into handheld terminals and vehicle mounted terminals.
A terminal generally uses a touch screen as an input/output mechanism to secure its mobility or portability. That is, a touchscreen can perform both an input function and an output function. The touchscreen also plays a considerable role in providing an intuitive control of a mobile terminal
An intuitive control scheme is one of very significant elements in aspect of a user who uses a mobile terminal. Various kinds of terminals are utilized everywhere in human daily lives. In order to individually acquire methods of controlling these terminals, a user needs excessive learning processes. Thus, the development of mobile terminal controlling methods tends to be focused on the development of a further user-intuitive input method.
For example, a tapping method is an example of the intuitive input method. The tapping method is an input method for a user to tap a prescribed region (i.e., touchscreen) of a mobile terminal prescribed times (e.g., at least once). The tapping method is similar to a knocking action in daily life. According to a dictionary meaning, a knock means an action of indicating a presence of a person around by lightly striking a door before entering a room. Thus, a tapping action can be intuitively understood as an action of notifying a presence of a user to a mobile terminal or a prescribed counterpart with whom the user intends to make a contact through the mobile terminal.
In addition, the mobile terminal can detect the tapping input through various sensors/methods. A first method may include a detection of a tapping input through a touchscreen. When a touchscreen is currently active, a user's touch input applied to the touchscreen is detected and a tapping input can be then detected through the detected touch input. When using the first method, it is disadvantageous in that the tapping input is limitedly applied to the touchscreen only.
A second method may include a detection of a tapping input through an acceleration sensor. If a user applies a tapping input to a prescribed region of the mobile terminal, the acceleration sensor detects an acceleration change of the mobile terminal in response to the tapping input and can then deliver the detected acceleration change to a controller. The controller can then detect the tapping input through the delivered acceleration change of the mobile terminal. However, the second method is disadvantageous in that a sensitivity of the tapping input may be lower than that of other input method.
A third method may include a detection of a tapping input through the acceleration sensor while using the touchscreen. If both of the acceleration sensor and the touchscreen are used, the mobile terminal can detect the tapping input by complementing the disadvantages resulting from the method of using the touchscreen and the method using the acceleration sensor.